Facebook Is Still Allowing Mug Shots Even Though They Can Ruin Lives

Several news outlets have said they will no longer publish daily mug shot galleries or post mug shots of people who have been arrested but not yet convicted of a crime. The platform continues to allow law enforcement agencies to post mug shots, usually of people who have not been convicted of a crime. Facebook’s platform allows police departments to post their own content, rather than relying on the media to cover their arrests and messaging, said Sarah Esther Lageson, an associate professor at Rutgers University who researches the growth of online crime data, mug shots and criminal records. Their mug shot posts include comments such as: “Send Pedro back to Haiti,” “Hope he gets what he deserves in prison, hopefully he will find out what’s it’s like to get violated by the other inmates,” “Illegal?,” and “Will he get a slap on the hand because he is a minority, underprivileged?” The Lee County Sheriff’s Office often posts mug shots of kids, including many who will never be found guilty of a crime. Caitlyn Mumma, a public information officer at the sheriff’s office, said they try to remove mugshots of individuals whose records are expunged but not for people who are never convicted of a crime after their arrest “because it’s still a public record even if the charges get dropped.” Last year, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office posted a mug shot of a 12-year-old boy accused of making violent threats on social media, with a caption that includes the boy’s home address.